395 
Abstract .—A baseline assessment 
of 35 economically and ecologically im- 
portant Florida Keys reef fish stocks is 
provided by using a systems approach 
that integrates sampling, statistics, 
and mathematical modeling. Quantita- 
tive fishery-independent data from reef 
fish visual surveys conducted by 
SCUBA divers from 1979 to 1996 were 
used to develop estimates of population 
abundance, assemblage composition, 
and stock structures in relation to key 
physical and habitat factors. Exploita- 
tion effects were assessed with a new 
length-based algorithm that calculates 
total mortality rates from estimates of 
“average length of fish in the exploit- 
able phase of the stock.” These esti- 
mates were highly correlated for two 
statistically independent data sources 
on reef fish: fishery-independent diver 
observations and fishery-dependent 
head boat catches. We developed a reef 
fish equilibrium exploitation fishery 
simulation (REEFS) model and used es- 
timates of fishing mortality to assess 
yield-per-recruit in relation to fishing 
intensity and gear selectivity and to 
assess spawning potential ratio (SPR) 
in relation to U.S. federal “overfishing” 
standards. Our analyses show that 13 
of 16 groupers (Epinephelinae), 7 of 13 
snappers (Lutjanidae), one wrasse 
(Labridae), and 2 of 5 grunts (Haemuli- 
dae) are below the 30% SPR overfish- 
ing minimum. Some stocks appear to 
have been chronically overfished since 
the late 1970s. The Florida Keys reef 
fishery exhibits classic “serial overfish- 
ing” in which the largest, most desir- 
able, and vulnerable species are de- 
pleted by fishing. Rapid growth of the 
barracuda population (Sphyraenidae) 
during the same period suggests that 
fishing has contributed to substantial 
changes in community structure and 
dynamics. 
Manuscript accepted 16 December 1997 
Fishery Bulletin 96(3):395-414 (1998). 
A retrospective (1979-1 996) 
multispecies assessment of coral reef 
fish stocks in the Florida Keys 
Jerald S. Ault 
Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science 
University of Miami 
4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, Florida 33 1 49 
E-mail address: ault@shark.rsmas.miami.edu 
James A. Bohnsack 
Southeast Fisheries Science Center 
National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA 
75 Virginia Beach Drive, Miami, Florida 33149 
Geoffrey A. Meester 
Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science 
University of Miami 
4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, Florida 33149 
The Florida Keys support a rich 
tropical marine ecosystem, a pro- 
ductive multispecies coral reef fish- 
ery, and a billion dollar tourist 
economy. The Florida Keys are also 
considered an “ecosystem-at-risk” 
as one of the nation’s most signifi- 
cant yet most stressed marine re- 
sources under management of the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration (NMFS, 1996). Con- 
cern about habitat degradation and 
escalating resource uses from a rap- 
idly growing human population in 
southern Florida resulted in the es- 
tablishment of the Florida Keys Na- 
tional Marine Sanctuary ( FKNMS ) in 
1990. Because they are one of the 
most complex ecosystems on earth, 
coral reefs are a particular concern. 
The diverse fish community of these 
coral reefs is influenced by compli- 
cated biological and physical inter- 
actions (Sale, 1991; Lee et al., 1992; 
Polunin and Roberts, 1996). Reef 
fisheries can target a number of eco- 
nomically and ecologically impor- 
tant species (e.g. groupers, snap- 
pers, lobsters, conch, sponges, and 
corals). Over the past several de- 
cades, public use of and conflicts 
over fishery resources have increased 
sharply, while some fishery catches 
from historically productive snapper 
and grouper stocks have declined 
(Bohnsack et al., 1994). Concomi- 
tantly, the status and biological dy- 
namics of these reef fishery re- 
sources are not well understood, 
and important stock assessment 
data are not available. 
Another concern regarding reef 
fishery resources is the restoration 
of the Everglades north of the 
Florida Keys. Hydrological projects 
of historic proportions are expected 
to make a substantial change in the 
timing, volume, and location of fresh- 
water outflows into the coastal ma- 
rine environment (Harwell et al., 
1996). These changes could affect the 
survivorship of juvenile reef fishes 
in critical shallow nursery areas of 
Florida Bay and Biscayne Bay and 
ultimately affect the productivity of 
the entire coral reef ecosystem. 
